Rise & Shine

This post was a loooooong time coming and I am so sorry for dragging my feet on this.

It’s a gym.

You can’t try and be staging and posing for the camera when people are waiting to use the equipment.
Talking about, “Let me see how it looks……….no……….no, try from that angle, get a little lower to the ground this time…”

Just – NO.

People will hate you and I like my gym.
I don’t want to be hated.

So the only time I could do this fucking shoot was on a Sunday and it had to be early as shit too.

On top of that, this isn’t the kind of shoot you can do alone.You literally can-not.
You need someone else.

Which was another problem because we go out most Sat nights.

I work my ass off during the week, go to bed at 9:30 every night.
When it’s the weekend, I’m getting my dance on.No excuses.

And on the nights when I tried to keep it low-key, Keegan (my favorite human and gym partner) would be turning up and therefore unavailable come Sunday morning.

When he would stay in, then I’d be the one out.We were a hot mess for a while there…

BUT.

Right, so this post is not about looking cute or what I’m wearing or the lint all over my shirt and ass – it’s strictly business.So let’s get to it.

So far it seems the biggest requests I’ve been getting about my workout has been around my lower body so I’m gonna do this as a 2-part series.

This first one here is focused on lower body workouts that can and should be done at the gym. The next part will be lower body exercises that can be done at home.

I do both gym and home workouts so I figured it’s only fair to share both with you.

Keegan will be guest commenting so if you have any questions for him, feel free to call him out in the comments below.
He’ll go through the comments and answer any directed at him.

Lastly – these are by no means all the lower body exercises I do at the gym, not even fucking close.
But these are ones I never skip and the ones that use equipment that can be found at any gym, hotel gyms included.

I basically don’t wanna hear shit from you about not being able to do this.

Weighted Squats

I do these EVERY DAY.
This is the reason my ass is high and round.

HIGH.ANDROUND.

Alright, so you want to begin by keeping your legs shoulder-width apart and feet flat on the ground.
I find that my feet stay flat if they’re shoeless but do what works for you, just keep them flat.When you go down – try and sit back on your heels and really push that booty out, ok?
Keep you back straight and really push that tush out.

When you go up – squeeeeeeze your buttcheeks together.
Buttcheeks.
I don’t why that word cracks me up but I can’t say it or write it without cracking up.

Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up.

4 sets.
15 downs-and-ups per set.
I typically do 6 sets but if I increased my weight, I’d probably go back to 4 sets.

I’m telling you right now, this is hard.
When I first started doing these, Keegan would make me repeat my counts if I didn’t do it right.
“7, 8, 9, come on Dana, you got this, 10, 11, 12…12…12 Dana, c’mon!”
I would throw a fucking TANTRUM.
And he would just calmly look at me, give me one of those ‘you done, bitch?’ smiles and go,”…..T-W-E-L-V-E…”

As your legs start to build muscle, you’ll get stronger and will find yourself wanting to increase your weights just to challenge yourself.

Your body also gets conditioned pretty quickly so you’ll see results in less than 2 weeks, provided that you do these PROPERLY, at LEAST 3 times a week.

Keep increasing the weights gradually until you see the results you want.
Then it’s all about maintaining them.

More on that later, this is already shaping up to be a long ass post.

———————————————Keegan Says:

Don’t be afraid of weights.
Lifting more than 10lbs or squatting more than the bar will not turn you into the Hulk/She-Hulk.

If you are stepping on a scale everyday counting every pound and ounce — GOOD LUCK WITH THAT FOOLISHNESS!
That’s a fight you might win from time to time but a war you will more than likely lose. I detest losers.They just stink shit up like dirty draws (skid marks N all #gross).

Let’s be real the best benefit of hitting the gym is to have a banging bod NOT to weigh as much as an in asphyxiated twig (if that IS your goal please grab your belongings and go see a shrink STAT!).

Since muscle is denser than fat you might find yourself with rockn’ slim bod and not losing weight — I can go on and on but I’ll just reiterate focus on your body, how you feel not what a damn scale says, please!Do yourself that favor!

Anyways, the added benefit of building muscle vs burning it all away on a treadmill is that muscles will consume and devour all the unattractive fatty fat all over in and out of the gym.

A more muscular frame (I’m talking major sub-She-Hulk levels) constantly consumes calories while a muscleless treadmill only body will munch on fat only around the times you’re in the gym (aka a muscular frame = I can eat more cakes and piiiiiiiies!!)

Damn I talk a lot… sorry.

Dana has the form and stuff spot on listen to her and let’s keep this workout going!
———————————————

Hamstring Kickbacks

This works out your hamstrings and glutes.

Your hamstrings are the muscle on the back of your thigh and the glute is your ass.You cannot forget about these muscles, I repeat – do not forget about these muscles.

Don’t ever underestimate the power of looking good from behind.

Place a 10 or 15 lb weight on the equipment and bring your leg up in a curl, as if you’re trying to touch your booty.
Carefully lower your leg down (don’t let it flop down) and then curl it back up again.

This machine only does one leg at a time so you’ll have to rotate legs pretty often to complete your full set.
You’ll progress to heavier weights quickly.

Down. Up. Down. Up.

4 sets.
15 downs-and-ups per set.
I typically do 6 sets and Keegan sometimes switches up how many reps we do per set. Grrrrrrr.

———————————————Keegan Says:

Boooooo-tay!
———————————————

Suspended Lunges

This works out the quads, the hammies (hamstrings) and glutes.

It will have your thighs looking sexy as fuck, very defined and very sculpted.
Perfect for carrying around that round ass.

Start off with 10 lb barbells in each hand (stop whining, it’s not that heavy) and lower the knee on the bench to the ground.
The lower you get the more you’ll feel it.
C’mon, I know you know how to do a lunge.

This shit works without weights too although you kinda want some weights because they help develop those muscles we talked about in the beginning.

Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up.

4 sets.
15 downs-and-ups per set.
I typically do 6 sets.

———————————————Keegan Says:

Start doing these weight free, because balancing on this can be a bit tricky and take some getting used to.

Also, try to get the foot on the ground far enough away from the bench so that when you hit the bottom of the movement you’re making a right angle (90°) with the floor.
———————————————

Pelvic Hip Thrusts

Another one for the glutes.

You wanna balance yourself on a bench where your shoulder blades are able to rest flat on the bench when you go to push up.
And when you push up, really squeeze your ass, just like before.
Let your tush fall back down, take a breath, and push up again.

For this kind of workout, I find it best to use a real heavy barbell weight.

You’ll be pushing from your legs, your heels to be exact, and they’re pretty strong.
So go a bit heavy on this one, alright?

Down. Up. Down. Up.

4 sets.
15 downs-and-ups per set.

———————————————Keegan Says:

This will set your buns a BLAZE! And burning is VERY good.
If any workout gives you a painful sensation other than burning « PAUSE »

Access what you’re doing. Check your form.

In a scenario where the weight hurts but you can thrust your hips upwards, add more padding like we did here using a towel.

Anytime you are resting a weight against your body don’t hesitate to use what you can to cushion that weight. We almost always have a towel on hand and that works great!
———————————————

That’s it, folks.

I hope you found either amusement or information in this post because Lord know it was hell doing it.

Going to the gym suuuuuucks but you can bang it out faster than you think and good music really helps the time fly by.Like you wouldn’t believe.

That kind of music that makes you stand up and flip your hair back when it comes on.
That song makes you spread your arms wide out like you’re trying to create space so you can bust a move…put that shit on.

Create a whole goddamn playlist of that kind of music, I don’t really give a shit what you do, just DO NOT QUIT.If I find out your quit so help me God.

I. LOVE. THIS. POST. DANA.
I love to work out – and just planned a nine week workout alternating different muscles on different days – and it includes (3) THREE of yours!! (I’m not up to your weight – I AM IMPRESSED GIRL!!)
Keep these wonderful posts a’coming!! I would love to add to my weight training repertoire!!!
XOXOXO 🙂 🙂

Girl, this is great–I typically do some sort of squatting most days of the week myself–but I feel like your fitness diet would be enhanced with deadlifts and kettlebell swings (unless that’s being saved for another post). Deadlifts are AMAZING for the ass, even more so than squats (but squats are just amazing overall for longevity) and swings are another great workout to get the ass moving.

Can’t wait to see what else you do! Whatever it is, all of it is clearly working for you so keep doing what you do! 😀

Oooh you look so good and so do you Keegan but that’s for you young folks I tell you I was sweating just looking at you ! my arthritic knee cannot take that lunging uhum ..no no no … keep up the good work girlfriend !

Your ass IS high and round! Well done! I run like I stole something about three times a week. I signed up for boot camp in a “I hate my cookie belly Christmas haze” on Dec. 31st. Right now, it’s hurts to even type, the drill sargeant instructor works us so hard. As for lunges, I hate lunges. Like, I hate lunges like I hate Donald Trump. THE END.

Wow, love it. It definitively works for you woman!! I used to have a great booty, now I got the old lady ass.. Lol.
Thanks for reading my post too. And agree with your other post, it’s damn hard keeping up a blog.

OHHH mY this post is amazing. Great shots and great advice. I actually work out quite a lot and do very similar exercises. Lunges, tris, flies, bis, lats, abs, hams, shoulders, it’s kind of ridic but I’m in love with it. Getting to the gym is a push, but the benefits I get from going every week are maybe the best thing I’ve got going on. And this is what I look like from behind: https://www.instagram.com/p/9zgIp4jSDp/?taken-by=fabes1337 I do it for the rush though. I like feeling strong. Go you with this post for realz. So impressive. And you have the body to show it …and keegan…..wow.

Squats are god’s gift to tight asses and high butt cheeks. I love squats and try to vary them so my muscles don’t get used to the movement. Sometimes it’s side squats, sometimes back and front. Sometimes Sumo. I love Sumo squats XOXOXO